After Midnight
by Emachinescat
Summary: Fenton gets a call from an old friend who asks the boys to look into his daughter’s possible kidnapping by her own husband, which leads them into a world they never knew existed in anything other than horror movies.
1. Preface

After Midnight by Emachinescat

A Hardy Boys and Twilight Crossover Fan-Fiction

SUMMARY: Fenton gets a call from an old friend who asks the boys to look into his daughter's possible kidnapping by her own husband, which leads them into a world they never knew existed in anything other than horror movies.

* * *

**After Midnight**

**Preface**

_He shoved his foot down on the gas petal, not relaxing until his foot met the floor. He sped away, his mind already miles ahead. He contemplated what the man had said in an undertone after he had taken his screaming brother away._

_How much do wish to save him? That is, how far would you go to save your brother's life? Would you go so far as to kill him to get him back? _

_It was a strange, sadistic question, one that had made no sense, one that still baffled him._

_He thought of his answer, pushing the pedal to the limit as he did so, hoping the doctor hadn't misinterpreted it._

_I'd do anything for my brother—anything at all to save his life. I can't live without him. Because his life is my life._

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	2. Chapter One

**After Midnight**

**Chapter One**

Fenton Hardy grinned into the phone at his ear, happy to hear the voice he hadn't heard in a long, long time.

"Charlie Swan!" he boomed. "How're things in Forks?"

The man who answered him did not sound like the man private investigator Fenton Hardy had worked with years ago when they both were part of the NYPD. Instead of sounding quiet, kind of hesitant, but friendly and kind, Fenton's old friend sounded quiet, kind of hesitant, but upset and frantic.

"Not good, Fenton."

"What's going on up there, Charlie?" Fenton asked sharply. He had known all along that this call wasn't a friendly 'how do you do' reunion. Something had gone wrong up in Washington State, something that his old partner needed help with.

There was a pause. "It's a long story, Fenton. And you know how much I hate talking on the phone." If it had been under better circumstances, Fenton would have joked that Charlie hated talking period. Charlie had always been the quiet type, not one to start a conversation with a stranger, sometimes reluctant to start one with a friend. He was perfectly happy with silence, and had always been absorbed in his work. Fenton had been one of his best friends before Charlie had moved to Forks with his new wife, Renée. Not a year later came the news that he had gotten divorced, and his ex-wife had taken their baby daughter, Bella, with her. Charlie just didn't connect well with people, even his own wife.

Instead of making a joking remark about Charlie's social life, Fenton frowned. He was in the midst of a big case at the moment, and he had other clients that had priority. Fenton hated turning down an old friend, but he just didn't see how he could help until he had this case wrapped up, which could take up to several more days.

But he couldn't just tell Charlie no. It was wrong, criminal, to point-blank refuse to help an old coworker and friend when he was obviously so distressed.

"How urgent is it, Charlie? I mean, how much do you need my help?"

There was a short, sad sigh. "I'm not exactly sure how urgent it is, Fenton," the Chief of Police said softly. "I might even be over reacting. But…I can't just sit here and do nothing. But that's all I can do at the moment. Nothing. Everyone around here knows me, knows how I feel about…certain people. There's no way I could investigate without causing a big scene, and Bella'd never forgive me for butting my nose in, even if I am right, and something is going on…"

"Your daughter?" Fenton asked in surprise. "I thought she lived with her mom in Phoenix."

"Again, a long story. But what do you say, Fenton? Do you think you can help me?" The desperation in Charlie's voice touched Fenton. He had to do something to help his friend.

He heard a car pulling in the driveway from his second-story study and glanced out the window to see his sons' black van cruising into the driveway and come to a neat stop. His two sons had helped him on a lot of his cases, and they were doing a lot of investigating on their own now…

Watching eighteen-year-old Frank and seventeen-year-old Joe get out of the van and walk toward the house, Fenton made a quick decision. "Charlie, I'm on a big case right now, and it could take up to a week to wrap it up. But you remember my sons, Frank and Joe?" When Charlie grunted in agreement, Fenton realized that Charlie had last seen them when they were about two and three years old. "Well, they do a lot of investigating, and have helped me with many cases, and have cracked a bunch on their own. What would you say if I sent them up to Forks and you can tell them your story? Then they can start the investigation. If you still need my help when I wrap up my case, I can still come up there too. I promise they're very competent and mature and can handle your case perfectly."

Charlie hesitated on the other line. Fenton knew he was struggling against his need for help and the thought of letting two teenagers that were pretty much strangers to him come and stay in his house. It wasn't that Charlie was rude or inhospitable; he was just accustomed to being alone.

Fenton quickly threw in, "The boys can stay in a hotel, if you want them to."

"Uh-uh. Forks is a small town. We don't have a hotel, at least not one that isn't crumbling to the ground. I tell you what, that's fine, Fenton. I trust you, and I trust that your sons will be able to find out what's going on with Bella."

"Alright," Fenton said, relieved that he could be of some help to his friend, "I'll talk to the boys and they'll be on a plane to Washington tomorrow morning. I'll call you when their plane is supposed to land in Seattle, so you'll know what time to expect them."

"Do I need to pick them up?" Charlie asked uneasily. Fenton knew he was horrified at the thought of spending two hours trapped in his police cruiser with two strangers, having to make polite conversation to pass the time.

Fenton chuckled. "No, they're big boys. I'll give them directions to Forks and they'll rent a car. No need to worry, though. I just want to let you know what time they'll arrive in Forks so you guys can talk." He paused. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Charlie? I mean, you know I'm always here for you…"

"Nah, I'll be okay until tomorrow. I'm probably just over reacting anyway. But I want to be sure. Bella is my daughter, and I want her to be safe." There was an uncomfortable pause. "Well, 'bye, I guess. And thanks."

"No problem. See ya later, Charlie."

The line went dead. For a few moments, Fenton Hardy sat at his desk and stared into space, thinking. What could have Charlie Swan, one of the bravest men he knew, so shaken up? Maybe he was over reacting. But somehow Fenton didn't think so. Briefly, Fenton recalled the last case he and Charlie had worked on together and shuddered, hoping that what was going on now in Forks had nothing to do with what had gone on in Italy so many years before.

He sighed, then stood up and started downstairs to talk to his sons, wondering what kind of trouble he was getting them into this time.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	3. Chapter Two

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Two**

"Wow. Charlie wasn't kidding when he said it was a small town," blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Joe Hardy commented as his dark haired and eyed older brother directed the old Chevy down the streets of the tiny town.

"No kidding," Frank Hardy agreed, slowing the car as he saw the only house on the street sporting a police cruiser in the driveway. "This matches the description. This must be Charlie's house."

"I can't believe that we just got off of school for the summer, and dad ships us off to rainy Washington. The least he could have done is found a mystery somewhere sunny, like Hawaii," Joe grumbled. Frank smiled at his younger brother. Although the youngest Hardy loved solving mysteries and poking his hot head in other people's business, he wasn't a big fan of gloomy weather. And in Forks, Washington, gloomy was pretty much the forecast for every day.

"Fine, we'll turn around and not find out what's going on with Charlie and his daughter," Frank kidded as the brothers got out of the rented car and headed to the front door.

Joe rolled his eyes. "You know I can't do that, Frank. We can't resist a good mystery, especially if it involves a beautiful damsel in distress."

It was Frank's turn to roll his eyes. "I think Charlie wants help finding his daughter, not finding someone to try and date her."

"Why can't I do both?" Joe demanded as he knocked on the door. From somewhere inside the house, the brothers heard a gruff, "Door's open."

"Just keep your mind—and eyes—on the case, alright, bro?" Frank grinned, twisting the door handle and stepping into the house.

The inside of the house was as simple as the outside. They were in a small den where a couple of old couches were facing a muted TV showing a baseball game. A beer was on the coffee table, and a bag of chips had been left on the love seat. The brothers could see through the open kitchen door that the living room was probably the most exciting room in the house. A small table with two chairs sat in the middle of the floor, while a stove, two cabinets, a few counters, a microwave, and a sink filled with dirty dishes completed the décor. Obviously Charlie didn't watch many HGTV shows.

There was another door that led to a closet, a flight of wooden stairs that led up to what the boys assumed were a bathroom and bedrooms. Looking around the den a bit closer, the boys saw some pictures of a pretty woman, Charlie, and a cute little girl with dark curls and bright chocolaty eyes. "He keeps pictures of his ex-wife in his house?" Joe muttered. "Can we say lonely?"

"Dad said Charlie's not much of a social bug. Besides, he probably still loves her," Frank said. There was another picture of the same little girl, only seventeen years later. Joe gave a quiet appreciative whistle, and Frank had to admit that Isabella Swan was a very attractive girl.

She had long, curly dark hair, pale skin, and chocolate brown eyes that peered from beneath long lashes. She was smiling hesitantly, her lips full and pink.

"Hi."

The boys spun around. Charlie Swan had stepped into the room, his dark eyes sad. He had black curly hair cut very short and sported a matching moustache. "I'm Charlie." There was a pause. "Make yourselves at home."

"Actually, Chief Swan, er, Charlie," Frank amended at Charlie's prodding, "we need to know about Isabella, why you're worried about her."

Charlie sighed and plopped down on the love seat next to his chips. "How much do you need to know?"

"Pretty much everything," Joe said.

"Alright, but I warned your father—it's a long story."

* * *

"What's going on, Alice?"

"I don't know, Rose, will you quit pestering me?" the small, dark haired girl snapped, her golden eyes annoyed. "I can't really see. They don't have an exact course set in mind yet. They don't even know what Charlie's going to tell them yet. They're going to figure out their course of action when they hear the full story."

"But who are they?" Bella Cullen asked quietly from her place on the sofa, tightly holding a small child in her arms. "And why did Charlie call them? What do they want with me?"

"Charlie wants them to find you. He isn't buying the story that you're dying of some South American disease. He thinks we've kidnapped you. He's trying to find you, and for some reason, he thinks these two kids can do it for him."

"We can take care of them, easy," the big, muscular young man with his arms around the blond girl named Rose, grinned. "I don't think it'd take much to scare them off."

"No, Emmet, don't!" Bella hissed. "I feel so awful…I have to tell Charlie something. I can't stand him suffering like this."

"I still say we tell him as much as we can without getting in trouble," the huge, dark skinned Indian sprawled on the floor at Bella's feet, said.

The blond, painfully beautiful girl called Rose snarled in his direction. "No one asked your opinion, dog!"

The bronze-haired teenager next to Bella shook his head. His name was Edward. "We can't do anything yet, Bella. Maybe in time, we can figure out something to tell your dad so he can see you again. But until then…"

"So what do we do about the boys?" Alice asked.

"I'll stay behind and redirect them, make them see that there really is no need for such foolishness," the blond, scarred boy next to Alice said darkly. "If I have to, I'll scare them a little bit." Jasper Cullen smiled. "I'm sure they'll get the hint that we don't want or need any so called investigators on our tail, and that we won't tolerate it—case closed."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	4. Chapter Three

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Three**

Once everyone was moderately comfortable in the small den, Charlie started talking. From the hesitation and stress in his voice, the boys could tell that Charlie wasn't used to speaking for a long period of time. How he could witness in court, something he was sure to have done in his past, Joe couldn't quite fathom. But he and Frank ignored the anxiety in the man's voice and concentrated on that of his story.

"So tell us about Bella," Frank said lightly, trying to fight some of the tension. "Dad said she used to live with her mom in Arizona. When did she come to Forks? And why?"

Charlie grumbled about that not seeming important, but he complied. "Bella's mom got…" he growled out the word, "…remarried. To a baseball player. Phil. He's on the road a lot, and Renée misses him, but she stayed home with Bella. And Bella, well, she's always thinking of other people."

Frank shot a glance at his little brother, who was the exact same way, but to a greater extent. Many times Joe had put himself in harm's way to protect someone else, whether it be a friend, family member, or someone he just met. Joe never gave a thought to his own safety, which meant more work for Frank, having to save his baby brother's butt again and again. But Frank didn't mind, as long as his brother was safe in the end. The two boys had a very, very close relationship, closer than most siblings. They had almost a telepathy thing going on; many times they could almost feel each other's pain. They were that close.

Frank was jerked out of his reverie with an elbow in the ribs, courtesy of Joe. He glared at his brother and focused on Charlie again. Even though they were so close, there were times when they still ground each other's nerves, as siblings must do.

"So she offered to move to Forks with me so her mom could travel with Charlie. She wasn't happy here at all." He frowned. "I don't know why." Joe snorted, and Frank took the opportunity to jab him in the ribs. Charlie continued, "She was depressed until she met him." Charlie spat the name like it was poison.

"Who?"

"The youngest Cullen boy. Edward. See, Dr. Cullen—great man—adopts these kids. I think he and his wife, Esme, have five now. She's not able to have children, you know. So they adopted Rosalie, Emmet, Alice—she's great, unlike her ungrateful brother—Jasper, and Edward."

"What's wrong with Edward?"

"He started dating my daughter and then left her for months," Charlie said, anguish dominant on his face.

"Well, that happens all the time," Joe pointed out. "Guys dump girls for someone else, come back, beg, and get the original girl back. Not that I approve or anything," he added quickly. "But it happens."

"But what it did to Bella—she was dead for months. Wouldn't speak, would barely eat, just went about her life like a robot or something. Anyway, then she gets a call from Alice, his sister, and runs off to Italy—Italy of all places—to help him out of some sort of trouble. He came back and now they're together.

"It gets worse. A few months ago, Bella became Mrs. Cullen."

Joe looked shocked and disheartened. "They got married?"

"Yes. Before they left on their honeymoon—they went to an island somewhere in South America—Bella hugged me and said goodbye in a way that made me feel as if it were goodbye for good. Forever. I thought I was being stupid.

"But then Edward brought her back early and I got a call that she had gotten some rare South American disease that was so deadly that I couldn't be near her. Dr. Cullen is a good man, and a good doctor, but I had to see Bella. I called, again and again, but there was never an answer. I went to the Cullens' house, but no one answered the door, and there was no noise from inside, no cars in front of the house.

"I think the South America disease is all a cover. For some reason, Edward has kidnapped my daughter—his wife—and his family is covering for him. I would've never thought this of Carlisle Cullen. He's a good man. But he loves his son, just as I love Bella. And I suppose he, too, would do anything to help him.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but they're going to get suspicious if I start investigating. Can you try to track her down for me? If she hasn't been kidnapped, that's fine, just tell her to come home when she wants. But I don't feel right about this. I think she's in trouble. Please find her."

Frank and Joe looked at one another and nodded. "We're on it," Joe said.

Frank agreed. "We'll do our best."

"Forks High School," Joe mused, staring at the bleak, boring campus. "Are you sure this is the best place to start? I mean, Bella graduated a few months ago. Why would anyone here know where she is?"

"I dunno," Frank answered slowly. "But Charlie seemed to think we should talk to some of her friends, find out if they could have any knowledge of her whereabouts. He already cleared it with the principal. "Today, we're talking to…" he looked down at the list of names Charlie had provided for him, "…Jessica, Mike, Eric, Tyler, Angela, and Ben. Hm. Seems like she had more guy friends than girl."

"I can see why," Joe said. "She was gorgeous."

The brothers met with the principal and were soon on their way to the cafeteria at lunchtime. The graduates from this year were doing a summer program, taking college classes for credit in the fall. That was the only reason they were here—all Bella's friends had graduated with her. They spotted a group of kids, many of which matched the descriptions that Charlie had given them of Bella's friends. Quickly they hurried to the table. A tall, acne covered Chinese-American guy was talking to a girl he addressed a "Jess". She was very pretty, and seemed to be good at talking. The boys decided to talk to her first.

"You're Jessica, right?" Joe said, grinning at her. She smiled back.

"Oooh, new guys," she squealed. "Okay, dish. No, wait, I'll tell you about the school." She started babbling, talking more about her social life than the school itself. Finally Frank cut her off.

"We're not staying, just taking a tour of the school and meeting some of the students. We're college students from Washington U, and we're going to help with some Drug-Free programs at your school in a few weeks, so we decided to get the layout and find out what you all want." Jessica stared at him.

"That's even more exciting!" she exclaimed.

"But, uh, tell me, do you know Bella Swan?" Joe cut in. "We're a friend of her dad's and we're surprised she's not taking the courses."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "You mean Bella Cullen. We were friends, before she completely cut me off. I mean, the last time any of us heard from her was her wedding, like, four months ago. She's gone."

"Any idea where she might be?" Frank asked.

"No way," a blonde kid with spiky hair answered. He must be Mike, according to Charlie's description. "She hasn't talked to anyone, even her own dad in forever. No one knows where she is."

"Maybe she's with Jacob Black," a quiet girl who must be Angela piped up. "He seemed like a nice person, and she liked him about as much as Edward."

"Who's Jacob Black?" Joe asked.

"He was this kid—I say kid, he was more like a mountain with arms—" Mike said, "that lived down on the La Push reservation. He and Bella were great friends, like the best. Needless to say, he and Edward didn't get along. He disappeared a few weeks before the wedding. His dad didn't care, didn't do anything to find him. So nothing was done."

Later, after they had left the school, Frank turned to his brother and asked, "How do you feel about a trip to La Push? Maybe we're onto something with this Jacob Black thing."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	5. Chapter Four

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Four**

Frank and Joe strolled down La Push beach, hoping to meet up with someone who knew Jacob or Bella. There were several dark haired, brown skinned boys goofing around up the beach and Frank and Joe thought that they were their best bet at the moment.

"Hey," Joe said as they grew closer, then gasped. These guys were _huge._ They all towered above the brothers, who were six feet and six foot one. Their arms were enormous and muscular. Their legs were like small tree trunks. They were in great shape. The one who looked the oldest frowned, then stepped forward. He had to be around twenty-one or so.

"Hey. I don't know you guys."

"I'm Joe, this is my brother, Frank," Joe supplied cheerily.

"I'm Sam," the man said.

"We're sorry—we're looking for a friend of ours, Jacob Black," Joe said, and Frank sucked in his breath quickly. He didn't think they should be so blunt—but as usual, Joe's impetuous nature got in the way as he barreled head first into potential danger.

"Jacob doesn't have any friends like you," Sam said.

"He probably doesn't mention us a lot because we don't see him often," Joe said firmly.

"No. He doesn't know you."

"Look, man," Joe said, "how would I know about Jacob Black if I was some stranger? I just want to know how my old friend is doing!"

"You really want to know? Then why don't you find him yourself?" a younger looking boy snapped.

"Quil, let me handle this," Sam said sharply. The boy named Quil ducked his head down angrily but stepped back and shut up.

"You're on our land. I suggest you get out before my friends and I _throw _you out. I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, asking about Jake, but I suggest you stop because you're getting in way over your heads. Got it?"

Joe lurched forward, fists clenched, but Frank grabbed his brother before the punch could connect. Looking at the guys apologetically, he dragged his brother back to the car and sped away from the reservation.

"Jasper's waiting for them," Alice announced, dancing into the room. She seemed pretty happy, but her voice betrayed a bit of unease.

"What is it, Alice?" Bella asked immediately. The baby in her arms looked up in curiosity, her own brown eyes shining.

"I lost track of them for a while. You know what that means."

"They went to the reservation," Jacob Black groaned from beside Bella. Another Indian boy next to him looked worried.

"Let's hope they didn't tick off Sam and the others too much, because prying into our business can be pretty dangerous," Seth Clearwater said.

His sister, Leah, chuckled. "I wouldn't be too worried. Sam's got more than enough on his conscious. I don't think he could bear having someone's life on his heart, too."

Bella shook her head and looked out the hotel window. The city of Atlanta sprawled out before her. "I don't know why they're so dedicated to finding me."

"Because your dad asked them to," Alice answered quickly. "They always get a job done. They are also very brave and have faced danger before. They won't give up." She bit her lip, worried. "I'm not sure if even Jazz will be able to deter them for long."

Bella huffed. "I don't see why they can't find me. I miss Charlie anyway, and we could think of something."

Edward came into the room, followed by Rosalie, and shook his head. He was carrying a bottle filled with something red that the baby seemed to be happy to see. He picked up the baby and started feeding her whatever was in the cup. "Not until we figure something out," he said firmly. "We're not going to put Charlie—or ourselves—into any more danger. When the time is right, we'll let these…Hardys…find us. But until then, we'll just have to do everything we can to keep them off our trail…it's for everyone's safety…including theirs."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	6. Chapter Five

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Five**

"What was that all about?" Joe muttered as Frank slowed down, headed back toward Forks.

Frank laughed dryly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Joe, do you want me to bring you back so those giants can beat you to a pulp?"

Joe rolled his eyes, but didn't press the subject. Being in one piece _was_ crucial to solving a mystery. "So what did you think of those guys, besides that they were great, hulking monsters?" Joe asked, grinning.

"I think they know way more than they're letting on," Frank said, and Joe agreed. "Did you see how defensive they got when we mentioned Jacob?"

"I think they're worried about him," Joe put in. "The way that Quil guy told us to find him ourselves. They don't know where he is either."

"But why has no one done anything about his disappearance?" Frank said, feeling exasperated. "I mean, Mike said his dad didn't seem to be worried. If _someone_ had kept their mouth shut for a few minutes, we might have gotten to talk to the mysterious Billy Black."

Joe grinned sheepishly. "Guilty. Again. Maybe I do need to stop running my mouth, huh?"

Frank snorted. "Like it's possible. But, yeah, it would be great if you could. Starting…now!"

Joe glared at his brother, ignoring the jibe, and took another glance in the rearview mirror. A shiny silver Volvo was hot on their tail, gaining on them by the second. "Wow, nice car," he commented. "I dunno why they're in such a hurry, though." He paused. "Come to think of it, what is a car like _that_ doing in a place like _this_?"

"Told you it wasn't possible for you to be quiet," Frank laughed. Then he shouted, "Hey!" as the silver car passed them and sped down the narrow street, going at least ninety-five miles per hour.

Joe grimaced. "Okay, people like that annoy the crap out of me."

"You're about to get even more annoyed," Frank said tensely, slamming on his brakes. The silver Volvo had stopped in the middle of the road, parked parallel across the entire street, and a tall figure stood in front of it, unnaturally still.

"So this was all a trap," Joe groaned. "I should have seen this coming. Trouble follows us _everywhere._ So what do we do?"

"Let's see what he wants," Frank said. "He's all alone and I don't see a weapon. If we have to, we can take him out."

Joe nodded and they got out of the car, walking slowly toward the unmoving figure in the middle of the road. Both boys took sharp breaths as they saw the young man waiting for them. He was lean and muscular, with a flawless face and blond hair. He seemed…perfect. But what really amazed the brothers were his eyes, which were a light gold color. They were narrowed and held pain and regret.

"Any reason you want to talk to us so bad you'll risk getting hit by a car?" Joe said sarcastically as they came face to face. "Or is this some sort of twisted fun you have on a daily basis?"

The man spoke in a voice that was melodious and calm. Suddenly, the brothers felt very at ease around this man. They felt calm, relaxed, and comfortable. Joe knew there was a reason they shouldn't be, and he struggled with his emotions until he was aware enough of the situation to notice the danger.

"Why are you looking for us?"

"Did you kidnap Isabella Swan?" Joe demanded. Frank looked at the man, trying to read his expression. He couldn't. In fact, why would he need to do that? This man was very nice, he had no reason to fear him…

Joe knew there was a reason, and he clung to that knowledge as he struggled to remain wary despite the crushing serenity that threatened to rain down on him.

The man's golden eyes widened for a second, then narrowed. "Is it not enough that my brother has had his heart broken? You now accuse us of kidnapping the greatest treasure he ever possessed?"

"Wait—what do you mean?" Joe asked, still clinging to reason.

"Bella…Bella is dead," the man cried out mournfully. "She died many days ago, in Edward's arms." Although he seemed distraught, there was no sign of a tear in his eyes. "We had no idea how to tell Charlie. I saw you two snooping around and figured it would be best to give you the news and let you know there is no need to meddle in our business anymore. Edward's true love, his life, is gone, and so we are going away, far away, to a place where he can mourn, away from so many memories. Please don't try to find us again. We have nothing more to tell you. When she died, she was cremated. Edward insisted on keeping her ashes though we told him to take them to her father. He refuses. Tell Charlie we are very sorry and we wish it could have ended better. Now go home. There is nothing more to do here." He paused. "For anyone."

He got in the Volvo and sped off, leaving Frank and Joe behind, contemplating his ominous words.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	7. Chapter Six

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Six**

"A very good story, Jazz, but they're not going to fall for it," Alice said, kissing Jasper on the lips.

"Well, it was worth a try," Edward muttered.

"What exactly did you tell them?" Bella demanded. Jacob was holding the baby, Renesmee, while Bella leaned against her husband.

"Nothing to worry about," Jasper mumbled.

Bella cringed. "You told them I was dead, didn't you?" When Jasper didn't respond, Bella leapt to her feet. "You did, didn't you?" When he nodded meekly, Bella snarled. "Do you _know_ what they're going to do now? They're going to tell Charlie what happened. It's all ruined, I'll never be able to see him again." She quieted when she was instantly calm. She made a face at Jasper, but sat down, feeling much more cheerful than before.

"Don't worry about it," Alice said, closing her eyes for a moment. "They didn't believe it. They're not saying anything to Charlie. But they are going to—"

Suddenly Alice gasped and cried, "No!"

"What is it?" Rosalie said, springing to her feet and rushing to her sister.

"They've made the connection."

"What? What connection?" Esme, their beautiful adopted mother asked from the kitchenette.

"They found our house. Found the picture of the Volturi in Italy. Saw Carlisle in the picture, and recognized him from recent pictures in the house. They've made the connection that there's something off about us and that the secret lies in Italy."

"No," Bella breathed. "They're going to their deaths!"

"It gets worse," Alice said, her voice shaking. "Bella, your dad and their dad are old friends. They were partners when they worked for the New York Police Department. Their last case ended very badly."

Bella stared at her sister-in-law. "What-?"

"Did your dad ever mention a Fenton Hardy?"

"Yeah, they were great friends, and—wait, these guys are his kids? Why didn't you tell me this before, Alice? We could have done more to protect them!"

Alice shook her head. "They just now made the decision to go to Italy. Aro is very…interested in them. That's how I know this information." She seemed distracted. "Carlisle needs to get back—soon. This could be very, very bad."

"Why is Aro so interested?" Jasper demanded.

"Because…their last case involved the Volturi," Alice said softly.

* * *

"I don't believe a word of it," Frank said defiantly as the boys parked their rented car in Charlie's driveway.

"Me neither," Joe agreed. "Now we _know _something freakish is going on. If only we knew _what_." He paused. "I don't think we should mention this to Charlie."

Frank nodded. "Agreed."

"But we _should _get him to give us directions to the Cullens' old house. Maybe we'll get a clue of where to go from there."

"Again: agreed."

Ten minutes later, they were driving through the dense woods on a barely visible path, on their way to a secluded fortress in the middle of nowhere.

It took them a while, but they finally found their way to the Cullens' house, a large white house that sprawled over quite a bit of land. There were no signs of life; not a car parked out front or a light on inside. No indistinct murmur from a television and no sign of motion. The house appeared to be completely deserted.

"I want to get a look inside," Joe whispered; there was really no reason for him to lower his voice but he did anyway, he felt creeped out in the woods where the silence was so dense he could almost taste it.

Frank nodded; he, too, had an eerie feeling about the empty, forlorn house. "Alright," he whispered back. "I don't think anyone's been here for a while but let's be careful just in case."

They made their way carefully to the front door. "Should we knock?" Joe wondered aloud. "Just in case?"

Frank shook his head after a moment of thought. "If the kidnappers _are _in there, we don't want to give them any warning that we're here. D'you have your lock pick kit with you?"

Joe did, but it turned out that there was no reason for him to use it. Apparently the Cullen family felt confident that their location and reputation would dissuade anyone from breaking into their house. Either that, or they had been in too much of a hurry when they left…maybe taking a captive with them.

They were shocked at the elegance and brightness of the large house. Many of the walls were made of glass; the space was wide and open, the solid walls painted light colors like white and peach. They were in a spacious entryway; to their left was an elaborate kitchen, spotless and looking as if it were rarely, if ever, used. To their right was a great living room, complete with a large screen television and several comfortable couches. A white painted staircase spiraled up to the second story.

Joe nodded toward the staircase. Frank dipped his head in agreement. The brothers quickly, quietly ascended the stairs that wound around and around…Joe was actually feeling a bit dizzy when he and his brother reached the top. The hallway led to several different doors; most were open. The brothers skimmed over the first three but they didn't seem to hold anything important. They all sported large, plush couches and were stocked with CDs, books, DVDs; anything and everything that might interest an average American. The third room contained many medical books; the brothers assumed this was the doctor and his wife's room. There were no beds at all. Odd.

The next door they came to was shut, but not locked. The boys deduced fairly easily that this was Edward Cullens' room. There was a black leather couch by the window, a stereo system that would put any system the Hardys had ever owned to shame. Hundreds of CDs lined the walls, ranging from classical music like Beethoven to heavy metal. There were pictures of Bella set up on the nightstand, shelves, and hanging perfectly straight on the wall.

"Do you find it kind of weird that none of the bedrooms have _beds_?" Joe asked incredulously, glancing at the leather sofa.

"Well, Charlie said the Cullens were a bit…eccentric," Frank supplied unhelpfully.

Joe was busy checking out Edward's vast collection of music. "Man, this guy's got all of Aerosmith, Three Days Grace, Green Day…he's even got every Johnny Cash CD ever made!" he marveled. Then he chuckled. "He's even got a bunch of old records, look—Elvis and even seventies teen pop sensation Shaun Cassidy." He chuckled. "I had no idea these were even around anymore."

Frank sighed. "Can we focus, Joe? Please?"

Joe exhaled loudly and muttered something about no appreciation for the fine arts, which caused Frank to snort in laughter. "Fine Arts? I think you'd better come up for a better excuse for snooping through other people's music collection, little brother."

Joe glared at his brother indignantly. "Hmph. He's a suspect, isn't he? Who knows, there could be a clue hidden inside one of these CDs…"

Frank rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming, bro. Come on, let's check out the rest of the house."

The next room they came to was locked. Joe grinned, glad to be able to put his lock-picking skills to use at last. It was a very difficult lock and it was nearly seven minutes later that the brothers heard the satisfying _click_ of a job well done. The boys were amazed at what this room held.

It looked like Carlisle Cullen had managed to bring the hospital home with him. He had a full lab, complete with medical supplies, tools, and instruments the boys had never seen before. An examining table and a long bed with crinkly paper laid out on top added a more doctor's office feel to the place. The boys hurried to the other side of the room, where another heavy door was waiting to be unlocked. About nine minutes later, they were in.

This room must have been the doctor's study. There was a desk with neatly organized folders, papers, and charts. Pictures of the young doctor with his gorgeous wife, two stunning daughters, and three unearthly handsome sons decorated most of the available desk area. On the walls were magnificent paintings, some of which looked hundreds of years old.

The boys examined the wondrous works of art in silence, taking in the vast array of colors, textures, and patterns that looked like only a master could have painted. One in particular caught Frank's interest. It was a painting of four men standing on a rooftop in what looked like somewhere in Europe, staring up at the sky. All wore black cloaks and were deathly pale, with eyes ranging from black to crimson to amber. One of the people looked very, very familiar.

"Joe, look at this!" Frank exclaimed. He examined the date and place of the painting, which was written on a plaque and showed it to his brother, who shrugged.

"Yeah. Painted a few centuries ago, in Venice, Italy. What's the big deal?"

"_Look _at the man in the middle? Who is he?"

Joe stared. "That's Doctor Cullen. But…there's no way…I mean…" he faltered, unsure of what this meant. This work of art was anything but recent. No one could have faked the aging evidence and pure Renaissance feel of this picture, even with its strange hue and tone. But there the doctor was, looking the exact same, standing on that forlorn rooftop with three other men with translucent skin and dark eyes. Then he snapped his fingers. "Italy! Remember what Charlie said, Frank?"

"Yeah, a few months after they broke up, Edward got into some trouble in _Italy_," Frank breathed, getting excited. "There's something really off with the Cullens. I have a feeling that if we can find out what that is, finding Bella will be much easier. And the answer to the mystery—at least, the mystery of the Cullens—lies in Italy."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	8. Chapter Seven

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Seven**

Carlisle Cullen rushed into the large suite in the Days Sun Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. "Alice? What's the emergency?"

Carlisle didn't look a day older than twenty-three. He had light blond hair and soft honey colored eyes that were narrowed with worry and his pale face was, like his children's and wife's—there was no other word for it—beautiful. He had just returned from a hunting slash business trip, taking care of a few loose ends in South America because of Edward and Bella's hasty departure and doing a bit of hunting on the side.

Alice sighed, her golden eyes a bit frantic with worry. Quickly, she told her adopted father what she had seen, and with every word, Carlisle's face grew tighter and his eyes more worried. After Alice had finished, Esme looked up at her husband and asked, "What do we do?"

"I remember what happened with the Volturi," Carlisle mused quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. "It wasn't pretty, and Fenton Hardy and Charlie Swan are lucky to be alive, and lucky that Aro had more important things on his mind than getting revenge."

"Why had we never heard?" Rosalie asked, her light amber eyes confused.

"It was all handled swiftly and secretly. Anyone who had seen anything in the immediate area was killed. The only people who know the real story are Fenton and Charlie, Marcus, Aro, and Caius, and me, and I believe that we all planned to—theoretically—take it to the grave."

Edward chuckled humorlessly at some unspoken joke.

"But we don't have time; not now," Carlisle said, his words coming out in a rush. "We've got to stop them before the Volturi gets a hold of them. They may have been too busy to go out looking for Fenton or Charlie, but I don't think even Aro could resist revenge when it stands so close and vulnerable…" He paused. "The Volturi will know if we enter the city and will do away with them if we do. What we need is someone who can possibly go in a more subtle manner. We can wait outside the city limits to aid with the escape, but I think that Jacob, Seth, and Leah should actually be the ones to find the young men and escort them to safety, and, if by some great misfortune, they are already in the hands of the Volturi, can alert us and we can go in for the rescue. Bella, you need to stay here with Esme; we don't want the Volturi to be reminded that they need to check in on you just yet; and make sure you keep Renesemee safe. The rest of us will stay right at the city border, ready to jump in to help if it is absolutely necessary."

Alice cringed, her eyes blank for a moment, then murmured, "It will be."

* * *

She walked quietly down the street, black hood covering her pale, young, beautiful but frightening face. Her eyes were the darkest black as her eyes scanned the crowd, looking to see some out-of-town folk that might be interested in seeing some ancient ruins. A wry smile touched her small mouth. Maybe they would even stay for dinner. Of course, dinner was an occasion that no tourist lucky enough to visit the Volturi's tourist attraction could ever pass up.

As her black eyes scanned the crowds, she saw a group of people coming out of the Venice Airport. She smiled. There were several French people, a few Hungarians, several Brits and Scots, and, of course, the never-ceasing flow of American tourists with their cameras and funny clothes and floppy hats and ludicrously overlarge sunglasses. Perfect.

Two young men who got off the plane didn't look like your average tourist. One had dark hair, the other light, one with brown eyes, the other with blue. They didn't have fanny-packs or bulky backpacks or mountains of luggage. They had no cameras attached to their belts, nor unpractical, ugly open-toed shoes. And their clothes weren't _that _funny; at least they didn't wear the bright orange shirt with tiny blue palm trees dotting the already distasteful color, the kind of shirt that seemed to be very popular with American tourists. They were actually quite nice-looking, she noted. If she cared about such things. But looks were not what she cared about. It was about what was on the inside that counts.

She chuckled softly at her secret but morbid joke and decided that this group of travelers would be the Volturi's guests for dinner this evening.

How exciting for her, too bad for them.

* * *

The brothers fought through the throng of people, most of them looking to be tourists from surrounding countries. "Wow, Italy," Joe commented. "I'd be psyched out to take a tour, only we've got to go track down what the painting's plaque said—The Volturi, whatever that's supposed to be."

Frank chuckled. "C'mon, hopefully we'll have time for sightseeing later."

"Don't get me wrong," Joe said, "but what are you expecting to find in Italy, Frank? I mean, I know that the picture in the doc's office was a little on the freakish side, but we're not trying to figure out exactly how freakish the Cullens are. We're supposed to find Bella Swan—erm, Cullen."

Frank sighed. "I know. But something's really bugging me about the whole thing. Like all along the answer lay in Venice, but we didn't know it. I just want to figure out what's up with that family. Knowing them better will probably help us figure out where they've got Bella and why."

Joe gave his brother a crooked half-smile. "I thought I was supposed to be the one who relies on gut instincts." Frank shrugged, grinning. Joe went on, "But you don't think Bella's in Venice, do you?"

Frank shook his head slowly. "But I just have a feeling that this is where we need to be to get some answers."

Joe sighed. "I _suppose _since you've stolen my job as the hot-headed brother that relies on his heart, I should start griping about how you should think things through before hopping on a plane and running off to Italy—_Italy _of all places—to figure out some mystery that really isn't ours to solve." Frank looked at his brother, frowning. Joe went on, "Too bad I'm just as hooked on the Cullen Factor as you are. So, where do we start?"

* * *

She was about to approach the tourists when her ears picked up three words—or rather, names—she hadn't been expecting to hear.

'…_painting's plaque said—The Volturi, whatever that's supposed to be…_ _exactly how freakish the Cullens are...supposed to find Bella Swan—erm, Cullen…'_

The Volturi. The Cullens. Bella Cullen. Who had said that? She swiveled around and her dark eyes focused in on the two American boys she had noticed briefly a few minutes earlier. She debated quickly, curiosity and suspicion winning—however reluctantly—over thirst, and she made a snap decision. She made her way through the crowd that now _wouldn't _be joining her for dinner (too bad) and stopped in front of the two teenage boys.

"Hi," she said in a small, quiet voice. "If you're looking for information on the Volturi, I'm the person to talk to. In fact, if you come with me, I can even show you their headquarters."

She smiled grimly as the boys accepted cheerily and followed her into what looked like entrance to catacombs.

No one noticed the three Indian kids barreling out of the airport and into the streets, their wide, brown eyes staring anxiously after Frank and Joe Hardy as the two boys were directed to their doom.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	9. Chapter Eight

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Eight**

Neither Frank or Joe trusted the girl that had offered to take them to the Volturi. But they knew that she was probably their only chance to find out what was going on. Frank had wanted to turn her down, wait until she left, then follow her—but Joe, throwing caution to the wind, almost as if he wanted to _prove _that he was still the impetuous one and that Frank was still the fuddy-duddy, had agreed to accompany her.

"Besides, they might not even be bad," Joe pointed out quietly as they followed the girl, who had introduced herself as Jane, a spokesperson for the Volturi, into ancient catacombs.

"So, uh, what exactly is the Volturi all about?" Joe asked the girl, his voice echoing eerily in the dark, creepy halls.

Jane looked a bit surprised. Her black eyes narrowed, she asked suspiciously, "You should know the business of the Volturi if you have come seeking us." She then smiled wickedly and muttered, "Then again, if you knew anything about us, you probably would have stayed away."

Frank shot his younger brother a worried look that clearly said, _Why did you have to go and open your big mouth?_

Joe shrugged and mouthed, "Sorry." Then he decided the best course of action was to pretend he and his brother knew all about the Volturi. No matter if this group was composed of terrorists or gun dealers, Joe knew their chances of survival were greater if they pretended to be terrorists or gun buyers. Joe chuckled. This was just another undercover assignment. They needed to find out what they needed to know, bow out, then use it to their advantage in finding Bella. Of course, these things were never as easy as they seemed. But it was all they could do at the moment.

"Of course we know about the Volturi," Joe said loftily. "But we won't talk to a spokesperson. We want the man in charge. Only _he _can help us out with what we want."

The girl's face was a mask of anger for a moment, but she calmed almost immediately. "And what exactly is it that you are seeking?"

Frank shook his head defiantly. "We don't make deals with hired hands. We need to see the top dog, or the deal is off."

Jane gave the boys a half smile. "Deal? Fine, you can talk to the bosses." In a lower voice, she muttered, "It's your funeral."

Jacob cursed loudly, causing a few people to turn and stare in his direction. Leah shot him an annoyed glance. "Shut up, Jake. We're supposed to be incognito."

Jake glared at her and took out his cell. "Hey, doc, bad news…oh, of course Alice already knew…well, what do we do?" There was a pause. "…alright, doc, we're on it. We'll cause the distraction; let you guys sneak in…no, we won't do anything dangerous…alright, see ya doc."

He snapped the phone shut. Leah and Seth looked at him questioningly. Jake smiled slyly. "Guys, have you ever heard of mass hysteria?"

* * *

Frank and Joe blinked in surprise as the dark tunnels of the catacombs led into a brightly lit reception area, complete with a secretary at a large desk and several overstuffed chairs. The woman at the desk smiled, looked up, saw the two boys, and looked puzzled. She said nothing; turned her head back to her work.

Jane turned to the boys. "Sit," she said fiercely. "Please," she added through gritted teeth, almost as if it was painful for her to be polite. "I am going to speak with Aro. Then you may be able to speak to him."

The brothers sat side by side in the stuffed chairs and began to whisper. "Should we stay," Joe wondered, "or make a break for it while we still can? We know where their 'headquarters' are…we can come back later with reinforcements."

Frank debated over this for a moment. "We don't know what these guys are," he said finally, urgently. "But there's something screwy with them. Obviously we're getting in way over our heads." He nodded. "I think the best strategy at the moment is to get out of here while we still can and get help; if there is something illegal going on, maybe we can get the Italian police."

Joe contemplated Frank's idea. "True, but we don't have any _proof _that these guys are up to no good. I mean, for all we know, they could be eccentric bankers who like catacombs. We can't go to the police without evidence."

"What do you suggest, then?" Frank snapped, a bit annoyed at Joe for getting them into this situation in the first place. But then again, it was _his _idea to go to Italy without telling anyone…

Before Joe could answer, Jane was back, smiling a calm, twisted smile. "Aro has agreed to speak with you. Follow me."

* * *

"Is everybody clear on the plan?" Jacob asked his friends.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Yeah. But I don't know why we're risking our lives to save some friends of blood—"

"Leah, don't!" Seth snapped at his sister. "Can you be nice? Just once? Please, we've gotta do this!"

"I never said I wouldn't do this," Leah muttered. "I just don't like it."

"Too bad," Jacob snapped, his dark eyes icy. "Now remember, we've got to do anything we can to make these people believe that they are in real danger. The Volturi will suspect that someone—one of their own kind—has come to cause a bit of mayhem. Most of them will rush out to 'take care' of the problem, and while they're doing that…"

"…we make our escape and Carlisle, Edward, and the others can sneak past the havoc and get the guys out of there."

Leah snarled at Jacob but nodded curtly. "Alright!" she said in a falsely cheerful voice, "let's go get ourselves killed for two people we don't even know!"

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	10. Chapter Nine

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Nine**

Frank and Joe followed Jane through a long corridor, deeper underground. They arrived in what looked like a conference room. Sitting at a long, polished table were five people. The brothers stared.

All five of them were deathly pale; their skin was translucent. Their eyes varied in color—most had dark crimson, some had black, and the one sitting at the head of the table had blood red eyes.

There were four men and one woman. The woman—no, surely she was something else; she couldn't be human—was so breathtakingly beautiful that for a moment neither boy could look away from her. She sat next to the man, the leader, that occupied the seat at the head of the table, his silver hair nearly as white as his face.

"Hello."

The boys stared at these magnificent beings; all perfect in their own right, just like little Jane, who had removed her cloak to reveal yet another pale, but painfully beautiful face. The man who had spoken stood up, looking at the boys as if wondering if they were mentally competent.

Finally Joe found his voice. "Hi."

"I am Aro," the man said, sweeping toward them, his black cloak billowing silently behind him. "I am the leader of the Volturi. And this—" he motioned fluidly at the two men beside him, "is Marcus and Caius." He pointed out the small boy, about the same size as Jane. Actually, they could very well be related from their facial features and hair color, Frank noted. "This is Alec, and—" he smiled at the stunning woman who occupied the seat behind him, "this is Chelsea."

"Chelsea," Joe repeated, smiling his most winning smile. Chelsea didn't smile back. On the contrary, her top lip pulled back as she glared at Joe, teeth bared like she was a cat about to pounce.

* * *

"It's a good thing we have Jasper," Seth said appreciatively as he and his family lay waiting in the shadows for their chance to get in and grab the boys before it was too late. The people around them were getting frightened, they glanced over their shoulder, paranoid. It was working.

Alice stood with her family, eyes closed. "Not yet," she muttered. "Not yet—" Her eyes snapped open. "No!" she spat, her voice desperate and angry. "We have to move—now! Before it's too late!"

As Jasper closed his eyes and Seth, Jacob and Leah moved swiftly through the crowd, muttering terrifying thoughts of dark, thirsty killers coming near, the people in the crowd began to scream and run. One yelled, "VAMPIRE!"

Jacob smiled grimly as he nodded at the Cullen family. Time to make their escape. As several cloaked figures darted into the streets and the Cullen family eased into the Volturi's lair, Jacob, Seth, and Leah cleared the city of Venice's borders with ease. A few minutes later, the sound of a wolf's howl could barely be heard with the chaos erupting within the city of Venice, Italy.

* * *

_Meanwhile, fifteen minutes earlier…_

Frank couldn't be sure what had happened. One minute, Joe was standing, cocky and smiling, flirting with the electrifying Chelsea. The next minute, he was writhing on the floor in agony, struggling not to scream as he twisted in pain.

"No!" Frank hissed.

The girl named Jane was staring at him, smiling. Then her smile turned into a frown as Joe managed to stand up shakily, and even though still in pain, glare defiantly at the whole group of them, unsure what had happened.

Even though Joe was in the worst pain he had ever experienced, he managed to force himself shakily to his feet, glaring at the lot of them. Jane was glaring at him with a ferocity that made an old cliché pop unexpectedly into Joe's pain filled mind.

_If looks could kill._

"Stop!" Aro said firmly. "Jane, do not inflict your unusual talent on the poor boy," he said. "He _is _only human. I suppose we can't blame him for having an eye for Chelsea. She is, I am sure, a goddess in his eyes." Chelsea hissed but otherwise remained silent, glowering at the boys. "Or maybe, he is a bit more…" He paused, taking a step closer to Joe. "You couldn't block it, but you did fight it. There has only been one other person to block our advances, but I've never seen anyone fight so strongly before…perhaps, with training and practice, we could…" Aro was almost talking to himself now.

"Aro…" The man named Marcus had spoken. "What are we to do?"

Aro turned his blood-red eyes on Joe, smiling. Then his gaze flickered to Frank. "We are all gentlemen," he said finally. "Lies do not become us. Let us speak freely; for I know your intent is not what you say."

Frank opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Aro said pleasantly, "Wrong answer." He nodded at Jane, who turned her black gaze onto the eldest Hardy brother.

A hundredth of a second later, Frank Hardy was on the cold ground, screaming and writhing in sheer and undiluted agony.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	11. Chapter Ten

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Ten**

The pain stopped as suddenly as it had come. Frank lay on his back, gasping for breath as Joe lunged for Aro, his eyes murderous. "What did you do to my brother?" he hissed.

Instantly Marcus and Caius had his arms in a crushing grip; Joe was sure he felt a bone crack as he struggled. The pain was sharp and piercing; he groaned and became still.

"How terribly interesting," Aro said pleasantly. "One has some control over it, the other doesn't. Wonderful."

"Should we kill them now?" Chelsea said in a low, dangerous voice. Her black eyes were focused on Joe, malice radiating from them. "I want to take care of the blond one."

"No, actually, this young man could be quite useful…granted, his talents are not as incredible as Bella's, but I suppose, in time…"

Frank, who had struggled to his feet, snapped to attention, stealing anxious glances at his younger brother, still being held in a death grip by Marcus and Caius, his face paling with the pain of his cracked bone. "Bella? You mean Bella Swan?"

"It's Cullen, now, I believe," Aro said lazily, "but yes. You know her? Interesting." He paused, his eyes flicking back and forth from Frank to Joe, then back to Frank again. "But, I suppose we should get to business, what we came here for, no?" He nodded at Marcus and Caius, who let go of Joe. Joe cradled his left arm gingerly, the skin already swelling a bit.

"Let us see what your true intentions were for coming here," Aro said softly, then walked toward Frank, white hands outstretched, and touched the boy's head. Everyone was still and quiet for a while; no one even moved. Frank didn't know what was going on but thought it best if he stayed still. Several minutes later, Aro opened his eyes, which were now filled with hate.

"I see," he hissed. He then turned around to face his people. "Do you remember, friends, the day that Charlie Swan and Fenton Hardy paid the Volturi a visit?" Frank and Joe both looked startled. Their father? "Do you remember, they tracked me down and tried to have me arrested for the murders of thousands of people—guilty, I confess, but still—it is humiliating to have to obey the rules, even if they are your own, and wait until just the right moment to turn the tables and make the entire thing 'disappear'…

"We said we could not seek out these men, we said it was too much of a risk, and would be breaking our own standards. But now that revenge—a sweet but bitter relief—has wandered so willingly, so innocently, into our paths, why not take full advantage of it?

"I know it all now. It doesn't matter how talented that one is. He must die, and his brother as well. Painfully."

"No!" Frank and Joe chorused at the same time.

"Look," Frank said softly, "kill me. Do whatever you want. Just. Let. Joe. Go."

Very slightly, Aro nodded his head—in Chelsea's direction. With inhuman speed, Chelsea, now only a blur, had crossed the room to Joe and barreled into him so hard that his body flew the rest of the way across the room, smashed into the rock wall, and crumpled into a heap at the bottom. He was barely conscious; he couldn't move at all. He knew several bones were broken, but he knew it was worse than that. He couldn't even move the left side of his face an inch. And though he could very painfully wiggle his right fingers and toes, his left side remained motionless. He realized that his headfirst crash into the wall had left him severely and permanently injured; he was paralyzed.

Before he could really even process the thought, Chelsea's foot came into view and stomped down on his face, breaking his nose, jaw, and cracking his skull all in one. He lay bleeding, dying, helpless. Chelsea went for the killing blow…Frank struggled pointlessly against Caius, Marcus, and Aro, already feeling broken ribs and cracked bones, but not caring…But before Chelsea's blow could connect, there was a petrified scream from outside.

"VAMPIRE!"

In an instant, all six people were out the door and running into the streets of Venice, but not before Chelsea could slam her foot into Joe's ribs; Frank cried out as he heard several break. They locked the door behind them, but there was no way Frank would leave without his brother anyway.

He fell to his knees beside his broken brother, not knowing how this was possible, how this could have happened, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was absolutely no hope for Joe. The door swung silently open. Frank instantly recognized the three men who stole into the room and shut the door.

The first, Carlisle Cullen from the pictures, the second, Edward Cullen, from pictures with Bella, and the third, the blond young man who had stopped them in the middle of the road the other day…it felt like an eternity ago…

Carlisle gasped at Joe's broken body. Edward shoved the blond boy toward the door, whispering, "No, Jasper, you can't…go back to Alice, we'll handle things here…"

Frank felt someone gently nudge him out of the way. Through bleary, dazed eyes, watched as Carlisle Cullen and his son bent over Joe, examining the extent of his injuries. Frank could blurrily hear the doctor murmuring to himself.

"Left side is completely paralyzed. Very faint pulse, almost non-existent. Broken ribs, punctured lung, internal bleeding, cracked skull, broken nose, both arms and legs broken…" His eyes became hard as he turned to Frank. "Frank Hardy—how far would you go to save your brother? Would you kill him to save his life?"

Dazed, Frank mumbled, "I would do anything for Joe. I'd even die for him."

Carlisle nodded curtly, then motioned for Edward to escort Frank away from danger. As soon as the boy's ice cold hand met with Frank's skin, he snapped out of his shock. "JOE!" he screamed, fighting against Edward, almost breaking his grip.

Edward was forced to put Frank in a headlock, then whispered, "It's okay, Carlisle can save him, he'll be okay. Let's get out of here, alright?"

Joe's agonized, inhuman wail sounded from within the hall. Although Frank struggled, he was no match for Edward. The continued on.

The rest was a blur. Barely escaping from the city, meeting up with Jacob and Seth and Leah, even sneaking past the Volturi, seemed insignificant as everyone sped away from the panic and chaos. All Frank could hear were his brothers piercing screams.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Eleven**

Frank sat on the sofa, trembling. He could hear his brother's screaming from all the way down here. He had fought with all his strength against the super-strong Cullens, but to no avail. They were kind but firm when they said that Joe was not stable and could not be seen by anyone but the doctor until further notice.

Someone sat beside him. He didn't know who it was; he just felt the cushion sink and something was pushed into his hands. "Here," said a soft, motherly voice. "I hope I prepared it right…I haven't made tea often."

Frank nodded numbly, wincing as another piercing scream came from upstairs. He lurched up, desperate to get to his baby brother, who was in terrible, terrible pain, probably on the verge of dying. With inhuman strength, the woman beside him pulled him back onto the couch. "It's alright," she murmured softly, patting his back like he was a child. "Carlisle knows what he's doing. Joe will be okay."

Suddenly the blond man who had stopped them in the road, and appeared yet again in the Volturi's hideout, stepped into the room. Instantly Frank felt a wave of peace wash over him and he sank back onto the couch, still anxious for his brother, but not in hysterics.

It was fifteen minutes since they had returned from Italy. To Frank, everything was a panicked blur. Carlisle had taken a jet—the fastest available—back to Washington with Joe in tow. Edward had accompanied Frank, the blond boy, another big guy—Edward's brother, but Frank couldn't place his name, three Indian kids, and a pretty girl with dark spiky hair—Alicia or something. They had taken a normal flight back to Washington, and all the while Frank stayed relatively calm whenever the blond man was within range. But if he moved out of sight, for some reason Frank couldn't explain, he would panic, anxiety building for his brother who he felt he would never see again. No one had spoken on the return home.

They had gone to the Cullens' house; Dr. Cullen said that he needed to use his second-story lab to treat Joe. Frank had been ushered inside, while the blond boy had run upstairs to help Dr. Cullen. Frank could hear his brother's agonized, tortured, inhuman screams and had panicked. Now that the blond one had returned, Frank relaxed some and was able to look around him.

The woman next to him was stunning. She was deathly pale like all the people in the room, her hair soft and shiny, her amber eyes warm and compassionate. She couldn't be a day over twenty-one, yet she introduced herself as Mrs. Esme Cullen, the mother of the five Cullen children, who introduced themselves when Frank had calmed down enough to hold a semi-rational conversation.

"I'm Jasper," the blond one said, smiling hesitantly at Frank.

"Emmett," the huge guy said, flexing his massive arm muscles and grinning.

"I am Rosalie," the magnificent creature with white skin, amber eyes, a perfect body, and long, flowing, blonde hair said in a silky voice tinged with a bit of—could it be anger? regret?

"I'm Alice," the petite dark-headed girl said in a voice like hundreds of wind chimes. Then she danced out of the room.

"Edward."

Frank nodded at the bronze-haired boy. "I know."

"I'm Bella," said a quiet, musical voice from the corner. "And this is Renesmee."

Frank turned to look at the girl, cringing as Joe wailed again upstairs, but calming as a wave of comfort passed over him. For some reason, it was impossible to feel overly anxious with Jasper around.

Looking at Bella Cullen, Frank could see no resemblance between the stunning woman and the pretty girl he had seen in the picture, and yet, they were everything alike. Both had the same dark hair, and facial features, but this Bella had two major differences: her face was chalky white like the others, and her eyes were a dark crimson. In her arms she held a beautiful child that looked to be at least three or four months old, with eyes just like her mother's.

Frank sucked in a breath, trying to piece everything together while fighting the overwhelming fog that clouded his mind, forcing him to be calm and sane while all he really wanted to do was run upstairs and do anything…everything…to save his brother.

"We were looking for you," he finally said.

Bella nodded, looking guilty. "We know. And we're sorry. We didn't know the connection you had with my father or the Volturi until Alice…well, until Alice was able to figure it out. By then, it was too late; you were already in Italy."

"It's a long story," Alice said quietly. "And it is absolutely exhausting to have to tell twice."

Frank stared at her. "Twice?"

"Carlisle says that Joe should be well enough to join us in a few days."

Everyone except for Frank erupted. "Alice, are you crazy?" Emmett hissed.

Jasper looked aghast. "A few days? You know that's impossible…"

Alice glared at the group of disbelievers and shook her head. "You forgot what I see," she said. All eyes were on her, intent, besides Frank's, whose were narrowed in confusion and suspicion. Another scream broke the anticipating silence. Then Alice spoke.

"It's the strangest thing I've ever seen," she breathed. "The connection these brothers have is…supernatural. It breaks all the rules. And the compassion and selflessness in their hearts is astounding." Her voice grew sad. "Joe's girlfriend was murdered, wasn't she Frank?"

Suddenly all eyes were on the eldest Hardy, who, taken aback, stammered, "Uh, yeah."

Alice nodded gravely. "He hates anything to do with murder. He and Frank fight terrorists and thieves and murderers." Frank was amazed at how much this small girl seemed to know about him and his brother. Of course, from what he had seen, Alice Cullen seemed to have a very keen insight…

"This, mixed with his unwavering love for his brother and family and his strong heart and courage and compassion, will present an overwhelming, mind boggling occurrence never, ever before seen, or heard of."

Even though Frank had no idea what Alice was talking about, he was transfixed. "What?" he breathed, leaning forward unconsciously so that he was almost nose to nose with her. Everyone else was listening intently, eyes wide with interest.

There was a knock at the door, and everyone broke out of the trance. "That will be Jacob," Edward said cheerily, getting up and letting the enormous teenager inside.

Alice rolled her eyes and hurried upstairs to help Carlisle, muttering something about headaches and vision problems.

"You ready?" Jacob Black asked expectantly, looking at Frank who was feeling a bit shell-shocked at the moment.

"Ready for what?" Frank asked dumbly.

"Oh, I can't believe we forgot to tell you!" Esme said, smiling gently at the bewildered boy. "You're staying in La Push with Jacob for a few days, until Joe's condition improves enough for you to see him again."

Frank gaped. "Um, when did I agree to this?"

Bella grimaced. "You didn't. Trust me, this family has a nasty habit of making people's minds for them and then resorting to kidnapping them if they don't agree." She glowered up the stairs while Emmett roared with laughter and Esme looked on, disapproving. "I should know."

"It's for the best," Rosalie stiffly assured him.

"But what about Joe?"

"He'll be fine."

"But Alice was saying—"

"Alice only has theories, and I'm sure she wants to run them by us and make sure they are completely correct before she tells you. She shouldn't have gone as far as she did, but she was getting excited about her…theory," Esme explained gently.

"Just a few days," Jacob promised, grinning from ear to ear. "It'll be great. Sam and Quil and Embry will take good care of you."

"What about you?" Frank blurted out.

"I'll be visiting my dad, but then I'm coming back here. Right now, it's…awkward…between Sam and me. But Seth and Leah agreed to stay until time for you to come back—they're staying with their mom, Sue."

Frank looked at Bella desperately. "Is there any point in resisting?"

Rolling her eyes in her husband's direction, Bella said, "No. Don't fight it. They'll keep you busy, you'll have fun, and before you know it, you'll be back and you and your brother will be reunited."

Frank was glum as he shuffled out to Jacob's car. Another scream rent the night. He sighed. _Please, Joe. I can't live without you. Just hold on until I get away from these crazy people…I have to see you again…I love you, Baby Brother._

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Twelve**

As promised, Sam, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Leah kept Frank very busy over the next three days. On the first day, he went to the beach with Seth. He went to a lively party that night. The next day, he took a long and weary hike with Sam, Quil, and Embry. In the evening, there was a cookout on the La Push beach with most of the natives. The last day he hung out at Jacob's dad's house and watched a football game with Billy Black without interest. This is how it had been since he first arrived at La Push. No interest in anything. No thought that didn't involve Joe…Joe hurt…Joe screaming…Joe dying…

He knew without a doubt that Alice was just trying to calm him down; Joe's injuries were so extensive that he would be lucky to live through this; and it would be an absolute miracle if he didn't wind up completely paralyzed and mentally ill. All he wanted was Joe, and the natives, no matter how nice their façade, didn't have any intention of letting him escape the reservation.

After dinner on the third day, Sam escorted Frank to the La Push borders and waited for Jacob to pick him up. Soon Frank and Jacob were moving at a leisurely pace toward the Cullens' house. Jacob seemed to be happy and carefree. Frank felt the opposite.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the house."

Frank winced. "Joe's took a turn for the worst, hasn't he? I need to be with him; I need to see him…"

"Calm down," Jacob ordered, barely concealing his grin.

Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of the Cullens' house. "You ready to see your brother?" Jacob asked. Frank nodded, his eyes tearing up as he imagined his baby brother, broken and hurting. But he would be strong for Joe; he had to be. "Wait here," Jacob ordered, and knocked twice before being let inside. The door closed, and Frank stood like a statue, petrified.

This was how bad off Joe was? Jacob had to check and see if he was still alive before letting Frank in? Frank felt a knot in his stomach; he knew he couldn't live without his baby brother. He turned his back to the house, allowing his sorrow to wash over him.

Oh, Joe…

Suddenly two rock-hard, ice-cold arms threw themselves around Frank's neck and shoulders, crushing him in a painful hug. "Frank!"

Frank knew that voice…he spun around and hugged his baby brother tightly, not knowing how it could be possible, and not caring at the moment…

After several long minutes, the brothers pulled apart and Frank gasped. Just three days ago, Joe had broken almost every bone in his body. Just three days ago, Joe had been paralyzed. Now he was looking fitter than he had ever been, his muscles hard as rock. Frank blinked.

Joe had changed in other ways, too. His skin was no longer perfectly tanned, but a flawless, chalky white. His eyes were still blue, but more intense, almost violet. Frank had never thought it would be possible for Joe's eyes to be more blue, more…electric. But they were. His teeth were gleaming white and seemed a bit sharper. And the hug…

Joe's skin was colder than death, his skin like iron. He was more graceful, alert, and healthy than he had ever been.

"Frank…you okay?"

Joe's voice was the same; maybe a bit smoother, a little more musical, but it hadn't changed as much as his appearance.

"Joe…how…how is this possible?"

Joe smiled that same crooked smile that he had smiled so many times in the past, and Frank knew that everything was going to be okay, somehow…

"How is anything possible?" Joe laughed, and his laughter was contagious and magical. Frank couldn't help but laugh along. When their chuckles had subsided, Joe was serious. "Carlisle said it would be best if I explained everything to you myself." He nodded toward the woods. "You wanna go for a walk?"

Frank nodded and followed his younger brother deeper into the forest, wondering vaguely what he was going to find out. Right now, the details didn't seem all that important. Joe was alive, and that was all that mattered.

They reached a clearing after walking for about an hour. Frank was feeling a little short of breath but Joe seemed to be perfectly fine; he wasn't even breathing hard in the slightest.

Joe plopped down on the ground and sighed contentedly. Frank took a seat beside his brother. It was beginning to get dark, but neither of them cared. Millions of stars winked at them through the gap in the canopy of trees. After what seemed like ages, Joe sat up straighter and said, "I guess you want to know what happened."

Frank nodded. "Sure, if you're up to telling."

Joe laughed dryly. "I'm up to just about anything now." He sighed, put his chin on his drawn-up knees, and pouted. He looked so vulnerable again, so much like the younger brother Frank was used to. Instinctively, Frank hugged him and was once again shocked by how frigid Joe's skin was. Joe didn't seem to notice Frank's surprise. Instead, he looked at the ground and muttered, "I've went over this a thousand times in my head, but I still don't know how to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Frank asked gently.

"Frank…you won't believe me…it's not very…realistic."

Frank laughed bitterly. "After what I've seen in the past few days, I'd believe just about anything."

Joe grinned slightly. "Alright, you asked for it, Big Brother. No build-up, no warning. I'm just gonna come on out and say it, but you have to promise me you won't laugh."

Frank shook his head. "Trust me. I won't."

"Says you," Joe muttered darkly, but he took a deep breath, looked his brother in the eye and announced in a clear, unwavering voice, "Frank, I'm a vampire."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Frank stared at his younger brother, not sure if he had heard correctly. "A vampire?"

Joe threw his hands in the air. "Yep. The spawn of Dracula. Night of the living undead. Super Blood Bath VI, attack of the Blood Drinkers. Now stop laughing!"

Joe had said this in a rush, as if he had been planning to say it all along, and he seemed genuinely surprised that Frank wasn't laughing. In fact, Frank seemed to be taking everything rather well. Extremely well, considering how much Frank depended on logic and reason to get him through tough mysteries and life in general. He simply said, "Oh. That explains a lot."

"You really believe me?" Joe asked incredulously. "You're not shipping me off to the Funny Farm? You're not laughing? You're not even gonna tremble in fear?"

Frank shook his head. "No, no, and no." He chuckled, "Of course, I've always known you belong in the Funny Farm, so that's not really a fair question…"

Joe smacked his brother playfully on the arm. Forgetting his own strength, he smacked a little _too _hard and Frank ended up with a red spot that was sure to be a killer bruise in the morning. He apologized over and over until Frank stopped him.

"Joe, I knew something like this had happened when I saw you walking today. I mean, you were so bad off three days ago that I would have been shocked if you had lived. I knew there was something supernatural about all of this but I didn't know what. Now I do. And I'm fine with it…a little shell-shocked, maybe, but okay…"

Joe grinned happily and let out an ear-splitting war whoop. Then he returned his attention back to his brother. "Okay, but I'm sure you have oodles of questions."

Frank pondered this, and realized he was just happy to be with his brother. Right now, he didn't care if Joe was a vampire, or if he was Dracula himself. All he knew was that Joe was alive and they were brothers, best friends, and co-sleuths. Suddenly he jerked to attention. "We're still solving mysteries and fighting terrorists, aren't we?"

Joe laughed. "Out of all the questions you could have asked, _that's _the one you pick?"

Frank frowned. "Well, what do you want me to ask?"

"Oh, I dunno," Joe said sarcastically. "Maybe…_Are you safe to be around? _or _Do you drink human blood? _or even something ridiculous like _Can you turn into a bat?_"

Frank looked at his brother blankly. "Can you?"

Joe laughed jovially. "No, sadly, I can't. But…Frank, before we talk about anything else, I really think I need to explain…everything."

Frank nodded. "'K, I'm listening."

Joe looked at his brother critically. "You're taking the news rather well."

"Hey, you're back, and that's all that matters. If you're so desperate to have me flip out, then you gotta feed me something a little crazier than Dracula or Frankenstein."

Joe thought for a moment, then smiled wickedly. "Frank…I'm pregnant."

For a moment there was silence, then both boys howled in laughter. "Okay, I admit, you got me, Joe," Frank grinned, wiping a tear from his eye. "Now, before we get distracted again, tell me everything." He chuckled. "Before you decide to tell me you're giving birth to a kangaroo."

It was difficult for Joe to keep a straight face as he started the story, but soon both boys were so into it that they forgot all about their jokes as Joe's musical voice wove an explanation for the chaos that had surrounded the brothers for the past few days.

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**_Joe's Story: The Abridged Version _**_(Frank's constant and obnoxious interruptions and/or questions deleted in order to make the story flow better and save the reader a bit of time and headaches.)_

_First off, I guess I should let you know that I'm not a _normal _vampire. Of course, I guess you've already figured out that the Cullens are all vampires. It's pretty important to know a little bit about them before I get into the really awesome stuff—basically, anything that has to do with me—and yes, I'm still as modest as ever, thanks for asking._

_Carlisle's father was a priest, and he focused all his energy on destroying every vampire that existed. But one day Carlisle himself was bitten. He hid, in tremendous, unbearable pain—the transformation is the most horrible experience anyone can imagine; I went through it for the past three days—until the transformation was complete. _

_Yeah, I'm about to tell you how a vampire is created. Be patient. Wow. Never thought _I'd _be telling _you _to be patient. Freaky._

_Anyway, I lost track of what I was saying. Um…oh, yeah, I remember. So vampires are kinda like sharks—we taste human blood, we go on a feeding frenzy. It's nearly impossible to stop. When we feed, the victims die. Only when we have bitten someone and our venom spreads through their body without the feeding frenzy beginning will someone be converted. _

_And I saw 'we' very loosely, by the way. _I've _never done anything like that; I just know this from what Carlisle told me._

_Okay, back to Carlisle, before I lose my train of thought again. He detested what he was so much, he vowed to do everything to offset it. He has never tasted human blood, no matter how horrible the thirst becomes. Now he's a doctor; he deals with blood on a daily basis, and it doesn't affect him in the slightest. Of course, I suppose that has something to do with the centuries of practice he's had perfecting his resistance. _

_But anyway, he saves people who are very close to death. His wife, Esme, had jumped off a cliff after losing a child and was nearly dead. He bit her, and she's a vampire. Edward was dying of the Spanish Influenza in Chicago in…1901, I think. His mother pleaded Carlisle to save him. And he did. Rosalie, well, let's just say her past is extremely horrifying and she probably wouldn't want me telling you without permission—you probably wouldn't want to know anyway. And Emmett, Rose found him…he had been mauled by a bear and Carlisle saved him. Alice and Jasper just sort of found each other, then found the Cullens. The Cullens call themselves 'vegetarians'. They only feed on animal blood, and focus on places where there is overpopulation. _

_Several of their stronger human qualities carried over into this next life—I say life, this isn't really life, more of an _existence, _if you will. But anyway, Edward was very perceptive and could read people well as a human. He now has the ability to read minds. Alice has visions of the future. Jasper can control people's emotions. Bella's mind is a shield from any mental gift another vampire might have. And little Renesmee, she can communicate by sending mental images and memories to people by touching them. Kind of opposite of her mom and dad's gifts._

_Yeah, I have a talent, too, but you're getting too far ahead of me. You're going to spoil the story, Frank, so sit down and shut up. Thanks. I appreciate it. No, really, I do, bro. _

_The Volturi, of course, are vampires, too. They have gifts. Aro can read minds, memories, the heart's deepest desire, but only if he has contact with that person's skin. Jane can cause pain, while her brother, Alec, caused people to become so numb and emotionless that they wouldn't even notice if someone cut off their finger until they bled to death. Chelsea—I'm sure you remember her, huh?—she's a shield, kinda like Bella. That's why she always sticks so close to Aro, y'know? Kind of like a body guard type thing. _

_Oh, and it turns out she despises human men that she cannot feed on. She knew Aro wasn't going to let her…quench her thirst with us anytime soon, and when I flirted with her—so close and yet so far—she kind of snapped. She's a freak. _

_But anyway… _

_I think that's enough background information. Now I'll tell you what happened, everything I know. _

_Our dad and Charlie worked on a case when they both worked in the NYPD, tracing numerous disappearances of tourists all around the world to Italy. They actually figured out that the Volturi had murdered all these people but didn't realize that they were their 'snack', for lack of a better, politically correct, term. They traced it to Aro, who, following the Volturi's strict rules of conduct, could not kill anyone who lived within the walls of Venice, including police officers. So he went through the charades of getting in a police car and being trialed as a murderer. By the time he slipped out of grasp—only twenty-four hours after his arrest, Dad and Charlie were gone and the Volturi can't leave headquarters to kill humans. _

_So when we showed up, Aro saw he had a chance for revenge. He toyed with us a while. Now, have I told you about Jake, Seth, Leah, Sam, Quil, Embry, and them? No? Okay, I guess now would be a good time. _

_They're werewolves. Yep. Our lives have turned into _Underworld: Rise of the Lichens._ Anyway, they cause a blind spot in vampires' special senses. So they went ahead and made a distraction. _

_See, the Volturi are there to make sure that vampires don't expose the existence of our kind. So when Jasper used fear to control people's emotions in the crowd and Jake and Seth and Leah began to tell people about vampires in our midst… _

_Yep. You got it. Someone panicked, yelled 'VAMPIRE!', and the Volturi thought it was someone trying to reveal us. They rushed out to contain the situation. Of course, all they met was chaos and confusion. That's how long it took Carlisle and Edward and Jasper and Alice to bust in, get you out, and for Carlisle to bite me so I would survive… _

_The Volturi were trying so hard to take over the situation they didn't notice the other vampires and didn't notice us sneaking out. But they'll piece it together eventually. I'm not worried, though. They _have _to abide by their rules, and if someone hasn't done something worthy of punishment like feed on someone in the middle of public. _

_But I was in terrible pain for three days. And then…I was changed, different. Better. Like I am now. They sat me down. Explained everything to me. But I'm different…_

_Now to tell you about my talent. My heart was so strong, so compassionate, and so linked to you, my brother, that it carried over. That's right—I'm a vampire, but a heart still beats inside my chest, sort of like Renesmee (long story short, she's half vampire, half human, but has a heart as well). Anyway, I have no need for human blood; I don't even thirst for it. I can eat normal foods; I'll prefer raw steaks and stuff I guess; right now all that's appealing though is maybe a hunting trip with the Cullens—I do still have a small part of me that wants blood, but not human…I know, it's gross and disturbing, but it's who I am, take it or leave it…I know, I _am _getting to be quite profound, aren't I? _

_The other part of my 'talent' is my connection to you. We're so close that my heart isn't going to let me be separated from you. Most vampires don't age. As long as you age, I age. If you someday become a vampire, too, we both stop aging. So, you're right, we can pretty much go on with our normal lives, with a few differences and one big lurking factor. _

_If I were to die right now, you could live on without me. But the way my heart is now as a vampire, so attached to yours, if you die today, I die the second your heart stops beating._

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**After Midnight**

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Hey, kids, welcome back!"

It was after midnight by the time Frank and Joe returned to the Cullen house. Emmett was sitting on the porch with his girl, Rosalie, grinning. "Have fun?"

Frank grinned. "Yeah. Joe told me his big, juicy secret. Who knew he was pregnant with a kangaroo hybrid?"

Emmett and Rosalie stared at the brothers like they were psycho. "It's an inside joke," Joe finally said.

They went inside. "It's a lot to swallow," Frank finally admitted after they had retired to their room—they were using Edward's room, since he and Bella had their own place just a few miles away. "And it's scary…it makes me want to ask Carlisle to change me right now."

"No!" Joe said, maybe a little too harshly. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. "But you can't do that. You're not going to throw away your life because of the possibility that I might die. There's always been that possibility."

"But now there's even more weight on my shoulders," Frank said softly. "I can't rush in to save you recklessly, I can't offer myself to the bad guys to save you. Because if I die, then you'll die."

"Frank, stop flipping out. I honestly don't think I'll have many problems with the bad guys anymore. At least mortal ones. I may be a little odd for a vampire, but I've still got all the characteristics and perks that come with it. Superhuman strength, speed, and agility. You felt my skin. It's like metal. Honestly, do you want to know the only way someone could kill me?"

Frank didn't, but he didn't say so. He knew that Joe wouldn't rest until he felt he'd reassured his brother.

Joe went on. "They would literally have to rip me into pieces and burn them. That's the only way I can die now." Frank winced. "Come on, Frank. It's the same as always, except now you're the vulnerable one. And now that I'm super awesome, you won't have to come to my aid anymore. If some terrorists decide to kidnap me, what's to stop me from ripping out of the handcuffs and busting down the door when they're not looking? All I do is not peeve off the Volturi, who would love some excuse to come and rip my head off—don't freak out again, they feel like that about all the Cullens—and go about my life as normal."

"I'll die eventually."

"And so will I, just like it would have been if I were still human. If we live to be a ripe old age, that's great. We'll have lived our lives to the fullest. Frank, just a week ago, we didn't even know that vampires existed. You weren't flipping out about how someday we're both going to die. You were living in the moment.

"And you gotta think about Mom, Dad, Aunt Gertrude, Callie…do you want Carlisle to change you and then you have to stay the same age while they die of old age? And if that isn't enough to convince you, remember that I don't want to live forever without Vanessa, and there's no way I'm changing her into a monster because I'm too selfish to live without her."

Frank sighed. "You really want life to go back to normal, huh?"

"Yeah," Joe said softly. "As weird as it sounds, I don't _want _to live forever. Not really."

"Forever _is _a long time," Frank agreed, yawning.

"Get some sleep, bro," Joe ordered. "You've had a long day."

"You take the couch," Frank said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Don't be stupid," Joe said. "Take the couch." When Frank started to protest, Joe said, "Vampires can't sleep; didn't I tell you?"

"Really? Well, you pretty much have all the time in the world? What are you going to do while the poor mortal sleeps?"

Joe smiled. "I talked to Bella and Edward. They're pretty much willing to try reconnecting with Charlie; they won't tell him everything. He'll just have to deal with the fact that Bella is different and that it is something she's not at liberty to discuss. Charlie's a cool guy, and Alice predicted everything would be fine. So I'm calling Charlie, letting him know we wrapped up the case, and that Bella has agreed to come see him tomorrow. It looks like a storm's brewing. So I'm going to go to the clearing and play baseball with the guys."

"Why during a storm?" Frank asked.

"Because we're so strong the sound of the bat and ball hitting together sounds like thunder. You wanna come?"

"No, thanks," Frank refused. "I'm sleeping. I'm not an overly excited energizer bunny like you, you know."

"True. Well, see ya in the morning."

"Wait—one more thing. What are we telling Mom and Dad and Aunt Gertrude about this? We can't let them know that vampires exist. Then they, along with us, will be in trouble with the Volturi."

"Already taken care of. Dad's talked to Carlisle Cullen, who says that due to the atmospheric pressure of the earth under a certain amount of ozone leakage that I developed an illness that pretty much killed my blood cells and body temperature."

Frank stared. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Joe laughed. "Joking. It's called spray on tan and long-sleeved shirts and long pants. And also, since I get all pretty and glittery in the sunshine, it's called faking sick on sunny days…"

"You fake sick half the time anyway," Frank grinned. "Shouldn't be that hard."

* * *

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


	17. Epilogue

**After Midnight**

**Epilogue**

The package came two weeks after the Hardys' return to Bayport. It contained an exquisite amulet and a letter.

**_To Frank and Joe Hardy_**

_My fellows and I apologize for our behavior in Italy. It was uncalled for, to take our anger for your father out on you. Chelsea also begs for forgiveness, but is not very practiced at saying so. This letter, however, is just a friendly reminder that now that you, Joe, are one of us, we are watching. Waiting. Hoping. Surely you will mess up someday in the future. When you do, know that we will be there to fix the problem and burn your remains. _

_Best of wishes in your new life! _

_Aro, **Marcus**, and _**Caius**

Joe laughed. "Wow, when these guys apologize, they apologize, don't they?" He studied the gold, jewel encrusted peace offering. "This isn't quite my style, though."

Frank shrugged and smiled mischievously. "Hey, you were running low on money for Christmas. You could always give it to Aunt Gertrude."

"Frank, I'm shocked!" Joe said, as he flung the package on his bed and began to wipe off the instant tan gunk he'd been using to disguise his pale body. "I had an even better idea for this lovely, clunky thing."

"And what was that?"

"Why, I can just take back that new hard drive I picked out and give you this lovely trinket. Then I can use the refund to buy Aunt Gertrude that golden spatula she's always wanted!"

**THE END**

* * *

**Be on the lookout for the second story, Darkening Day!**

**~Emachinescat ^..^**


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